Kyle Kesik: ‘We’re heading in the right direction again’

Steve Hossack

Hooker Kyle Kesik is one of the most highly-rated players on Doncaster RLFC's books.

But his arrival at the club in 2009, as part of the deal which took Dons hooker Pete Green to arch-rivals Sheffield Eagles, wasn't exactly met with a fanfare of trumpets.

However, the club’s longest serving player won over the doubters many years ago and there would be a similar response to Green’s departure were he to leave the League One club.

Not that the Dons captain has any plans to do so and is committed to helping the club return to the Championship – the prospects of which were boosted by Sunday’s hard-fought 28-14 win over Keighley at the Keepmoat Stadium.

“It was a good performance and we mixed it up well,” said Kesik, who was his usual busy self around the ruck area.

“We knew our defence had to be better than it had been of late because we knew they were a good side, and we’d worked hard on that aspect of our game in training and it paid off.

“We also didn’t have our usual ten-minute spell when we switch off, which has cost us on several occasions, and played for the full 80 minutes.

“As I say it was a good team effort and there were also some good individual performances.

“We’ve still things that we need to work on but we look to be heading in the right direction again.”

The club have this weekend off, something Kesik welcomes.

“We’ve already got three or four players on the injured list and a few of the side who played on Sunday are also carrying knocks,” he said.

“The break will not only give players time to recover but also give us time to prepare for what is probably our toughest month of the season with games against all three Cumbrian clubs, two of whom are in the top three.

“Two of them are up there, including Workington on Sunday week, and Derwent Park is never an easy place to go – not least due to the fact that it’s a narrow pitch which doesn’t suit the expansive way we like to play.

“We lost heavily up there in our last visit in the Championship but I've also been on winning sides up there.

“And with us playing (second-placed) Barrow at the athletics stadium the following week it will help prepare us for that.”